They look, feel and can taste like cigarettes, and now Washington lawmakers are seeking to tax them like cigarettes, too. A growing trend, e-cigarettes are popular with people looking to kick their smoking habit.

Democrats in the state House included a 95 percent tax on vapor products such as e-cigarettes as part of their supplemental budget package, released on Wednesday. In response, business owners from around the state assembled in Olympia to protest the proposed tax rate.

“This isn’t tobacco, this is technology,” said James Oliver, co-owner of Steampunk Vapory Lounge in Tacoma, who spoke before the House Appropriations Committee.

Some are concerned that vapor products could lead to nicotine addiction and other harmful effects. However, there is no conclusive evidence that such products either help with smoking addiction or carry potential risks.

Joshua Baba manages Tobacco Joes, which has several locations in Washington. He says that when he and his wife, both former smokers, opted to try a few vapor products at their tobacco shop because they didn’t want to go outside in the cold, they found they lost their taste for traditional cigarettes within a week.

“This is a way people have figured out to get nicotine without all the harmful chemicals you get by combusting tobacco,” he said. His vapor shop in Everett, which has been in business for less than a year, has a 1,500 customer base, he said.

E-cigarettes, also known as vaporizer cigarettes are battery-powered devices that work by heating a liquid solution into a vapor that is inhaled by the smoker. Users can include nicotine in the solution, along with a variety of fruit and candy flavors.

“There’s a level of education that needs to happen before we can legislate accurately on it,” Baba said.

With the lack of solid data on these relatively new products, e-cigarette industry leaders continue to argue with health advocates over whether e-cigarettes should be categorized with tobacco. The Food and Drug Administration has thus far remained quiet on the matter. However, at least nine states have categorized e-cigarettes with tobacco products.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last year the $1.5 billion U.S. e-cigarette industry tripled its sales through increased marketing ads and sponsorships. They also report that one in five cigarette smokers nationwide have tried e-cigarettes and that this number is growing rapidly.

Vapor shop owners worry that this emerging industry will be hard hit by the proposal. They fear many distributors will be driven out of business as customers cross the border or purchase online to avoid the tax, which would nearly double the products' price. Baba said online sales already account for 80 percent of sales. They also argue that the higher cost of the already expensive products could drive consumers back toward tobacco products.

Senate Bill 6569, which would have taxed e-cigarettes as a tobacco product, died early in committee. However, the House is expected to hear a similar bill, 2795, on Friday in the Finance Committee.

Last year, Washington joined 27 other states in banning e-cigarette sales to minors.